Fair Trade
by Rogue Callista
Summary: Sequel to "The Captain's Wife". Liria and Kal deal with their changing relationship while making a vital trade and dodging an old enemy in a place they thought was safe...


Title: Fair Trade

Author: Rogue Callista

Category: Rebellion

Keywords: Rebellion, Liria, suspense, romance, drama

Rating: PG

Summary: Sequel to "The Captain's Wife". Liria and Kal's relationship grows as they make a trade and run into an old enemy where they thought they were safe…

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are figments of the author's imagination and completely fictional. Scenes, situations and events in this story are based on those created and copyrighted by Lucasfilm, Ltd. and Michael A. Stackpole. Absolutely no infringement is intended. The author of this story promises not to try to make any money from it. (And I know I completely stole the _telbun_ situation from Mike Stackpole. Again, no infringement was intended. I just thought the idea was too good not to use.)

Author's Note: This story is dedicated to my friend and fellow aspiring writer Kylene. Thanks for all you've done for me, K, and enjoy the story!

To my fellow fans: I hope you enjoy the reading of this story as much as I enjoyed the writing of it. The Force be with you all J

Fair Trade

"Can I please get out of this costume?" Liria Croani heard her partner Kal Daye muttering from under his heavy robes. They were standing on the prime-class viewing deck on the starship Daughter of Hapes. She elbowed him in the ribs, still staring out the viewport into the brilliance of hyperspace. "Quiet, you're not supposed to say anything!" she whispered in irritation. The pair, Rebel recruiters and information gatherers, was traveling in disguise. Ord Mantell had recently become a bit too hot to hold them, and under the orders of their cell leader, they were traveling to the liberated world of Garos IV to regroup and broker some badly needed information. Bothan spies had discovered much that might be of value to Black Sun or the Hutts, but little that pertained to the Rebellion. So Liria and Kal were going to Garos IV to find somebody who would give them an even trade. Since they were both fairly high on Imperial wanted lists for breaking prison in Corellia, they were forced to travel under cover identities. More specifically, Liria was going as Linn Narel, a Kuati noblewoman, and Kal was going as her _telbun_, Narel Linntel. The commerce world of Kuat had a complex upper class society. To prevent inbreeding between noble families and avoid getting children caught in family feuds or business deals gone bad, the upper class resorted to a system of _telbuns_, trained concubines who gave the scions of Kuati families children and acted as personal servants and caretakers for the children. Liria, even though she came from an upper class family herself, found the whole system distasteful, but she understood the need for it. Kal just flat out hated his disguise. _Telbun _were supposed to be nondescript, so his clothing was a huge, heavy mass of red and purple robes with a high collar which covered the bottom half of his face and a tall cylindrical hat. Liria was dressed in an expensive but comfortable black designer skirt and shimmering vine-silk blouse. To add insult to injury, Liria was completely in her element here, in this environment of wealthy businessmen and old-money families. Kal, however, felt like a complete outsider. It was a good thing he didn't have to say anything, or he'd have screwed things up for sure. Kal was a straightforward man with a simple upbringing. He hated this society of doubletalk and lavish compliments. He sighed heavily.

"The humble and worthless Narel suggests we retire to our cabin, worthy lady," he muttered almost unintelligibly. Skies, how he hated talking like that.

Liria turned from the viewport to face him with a brilliant smile. "The lady Linn accepts your excellent suggestion," she said. The pair walked toward the turbolift to get to the cabin deck, remaining silent until they reached their private stateroom.

Liria and Kal walked into the cabin and sat next to each other on their bunk. As an extra precaution, Liria turned on a disrupter device that would prevent their conversation from being recorded. She nodded to Kal when it was activated. "You can talk now," she said with some amusement.

Kal immediately began shedding layers. "Do we really have to do this, Liria?" he said with distaste. "Do you know how much I hate talking to you like you're the queen of the universe?"

Liria smiled again. "Yes, I'm fully aware how much you hate this cover story, and I'm going to say again what I said before—it's absolutely necessary to the security of this mission that we act in our respective roles."

Kal looked at Liria suspiciously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were enjoying this."

Liria laughed aloud. "Actually, I am." Then, seeing Kal's irritated frown, she quickly added, "But it's not for much longer, so cheer up. We're going to land soon." Wanting to change the subject, Liria added, "Can you believe the nerve of Intelligence? I hope they don't use this ruse on anybody else." 

Kal roguishly grinned back. "I didn't see why we couldn't just pose as an old married couple," he teased, knowing it would rub Liria the wrong way.

Liria rose to the bait immediately, and her face closed. "That was never a good idea," she said with a chill in her voice, rising from the bed and walking to the refresher to change into sleep clothes. From behind the thin door, she continued, "Imperial warrants specifically say we're going to be traveling together, so if the Imps are looking for us, they'll be looking for a couple, and not for a woman and her servant." She walked out of the 'fresher dressed in a loose shirt and pants. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to bed." Liria was up in the top bunk and asleep before Kal could get another word in.

Kal sighed inaudibly. Liria responded exactly the same way every time he mentioned the two of them getting involved, even jokingly. She froze up like a Hothan glacier. Kal understood that she was still mourning for her husband, but he didn't understand why she always refused to discuss the subject. _So what is it? Is it a hang-up of hers or does she just not like me?_ Kal tried to push the thought from his mind. _Blast it, I'm acting like a lovesick schoolboy. Maybe I should just try to give her some space_. Kal walked to the 'fresher to put on his own sleep clothes, thinking, _I just wish she didn't need so much space. _

In the middle of the night, Liria awoke in a cold sweat from her recurrent nightmare. She would have been sobbing aloud, except that Kal was in the bottom bunk. She bit her lip. _It happens exactly the same way every time. I run, Micho gets shot, I run some more. I wish I could just stop seeing it, him dying in pain so I could be saved. I should have done something! I should have done something…_ She couldn't help herself and let out a choked sob. Kal stirred and mumbled in the bunk below, but didn't wake. _Liria, you've got to stop this_, she told herself. _You weren't responsible for the Captain's death, the Empire was._ _You didn't kill him_. But the little voice still nagged. _Excuses, excuses. You could have saved him and you know it_. Liria rolled over and tried unsuccessfully to get back to sleep, wetting her pillow with silent tears.

The next day, the cruiser was set to land in Ariana, the capital city of Garos IV. Liria seemed to be her old self again, laughing and joking with the other passengers. Only Kal, hidden in his _telbun_ disguise, noticed the puffiness around her eyes and the hoarseness in her voice. He knew she'd been crying last night, but he wouldn't have let her know he knew for all the ale on Corellia. Kal rubbed his forehead. He'd wanted to get up, to say words of comfort, to put his arms around her…but it would have been useless. She would have just pushed him away_. I just wish I knew what to do about her,_ he thought. _I hope things will get better once we make planetfall._

Once Kal and Liria disembarked from the cruiser and checked into their hotel rooms, they shed their disguises. Garos IV was one of the few worlds in the galaxy where they could act as themselves. It had recently been captured by the Rebellion with the approval of the people, and the battle for it had been short. The Empire had no particular love for Garos IV, because its main industry was its universities and its main products were students who were too smart for the Empire's liking. It was mostly a tidy, middle-class world, but it did have its seamy side, and that was where Liria and Kal were headed. Kal stretched and sighed after he'd shed his _telbun_ outfit. "Boy, does that ever feel good." Liria entered his room through the door joining the two. "I'm coming in whether you're ready or not," she teased as she opened the door. Kal was fully dressed, but he couldn't resist teasing Liria back. "Nooooo! I'm naked!" he shrieked in a falsetto voice. Liria collapsed on the bed next to him, and the two of them laughed until their stomachs hurt. Then they calmed down and began to talk business.

"So, where do we start?" asked Liria. "I have no idea how we're going to go about this." She shrugged casually. "I've never had to deal with…well, you know what I'm talking about."

Kal stood up and walked over to the couch, propping his legs up on the low table in front of it and turning on the holovid station. He flipped channels casually as he talked to Liria. "I, uh, didn't really have much of a plan. I just figured we'd put on the appropriate duds, get that datachip the Bothans gave us, and head over to the information broker." He grinned. _Sweetheart, these are my waters now._ "Just let me handle things. I'll get it all taken care of." Suddenly, as if remembering something, he reached over to where he'd tossed his bag and opened it up. He pulled out two blasters and tossed one to Liria. "Oh, and you're going to need this, too."

Liria stared at the deadly weapon in her hand in horror. "Kal, I can't carry this around!'

Kal frowned. "What's the matter, Lady Liria, never fired one before?" he said teasingly.

Liria stood up. "I thought I told you not to call me that." She was really angry. "And I have fired one before, at the range on Ord Mantell. I just…" She broke off in the middle of her sentence. No way was she going to tell Kal she was afraid to fire at a living being. _I'm not going to do to somebody else what those troopers did to my husband._

Kal seemed to sense her unease, and his voice softened. "Look, Liria, if it bothers you that much, just set it to stun. I'll do the killing if it's needed. Trust me, where we're going, we'll need to be able to defend ourselves. I wouldn't ask you to carry a weapon if it wasn't absolutely necessary." He got up and put his arm around her shoulders. "You're just going to have to trust my judgement here, kid."

Liria shrugged off his arm in irritation and headed back to her room. "Yeah, I guess I have to, don't I?" she said over her shoulder. As she changed into street clothes, she thought in annoyance, _I wish he wouldn't call me kid. I really hate it when he does that._ She looked into a mirror on the wall and pulled her dark brown hair into a sleek bun. _He acts like I don't know anything at all. He thinks I'm just a pampered little rich girl._ Then she smiled into the mirror with self-assurance. _I guess I'll show him a thing or two_.

After she changed clothes, she met Kal in the lobby and the two caught a pubtrans hovercar to one of the less reputable boroughs of Ariana. Liria was genuinely surprised that a city as tidy and respectable as Ariana had such a thriving red-light district, but she figured it was the same with all spaceport cities. The pair got off at the public stop and started walking. Kal seemed to know where he was going, so Liria simply followed him, looking around at the assorted cantinas, gambling halls, and "exotic entertainment theaters". Unconsciously, her hand touched her blaster. She remembered the Purple Mynock and shuddered, quickening her step until she was directly beside Kal instead of following him. Fortunately, they didn't have much farther to go. Kal stopped in front of a store with a faded sign reading "Fine Artworks From All Worlds." That sign had been partially covered with a garish plast one reading "Pawnshop! All Valuables Accepted!" Kal turned to her and grinned. "If I'm not absolutely off my hyperdrive, this is the place." He strode in with a confidence Liria wished she felt. She followed him in.

The store was dusty and full of junk from all corners of the galaxy, much of which Liria didn't recognize. Most everything that looked halfway valuable was quadruple locked in double-thick plasteel cases. Sitting behind the counter was an ancient, battered B-2P0 droid. Kal went up to the counter and leaned on it casually, speaking to the droid. "Hey, I think you can help us, droid."

The droid moved slightly forward. "I beg your pardon, sir?"

Kal grinned. "I'd like to talk to your master about some artwork. I've got some notable pieces from Nal Hutta, and some sunstone carvings too. Only the finest for Sel Taccan."

The droid suddenly understood. "I will summon my master immediately." He got up and walked to the back of the store.

"Thank you, droid." Kal turned to Liria. "The droid's gonna get his boss. It's all yours from here on in." Liria gulped. She was glad Kal trusted her to get this trade, but could she actually do it? From what she'd heard, this Sel Taccan was a pretty slick character, and he was used to getting the better end of the deal.

Then Liria had no more time to think. The droid had come back, and his master was directly behind him. Sel Taccan certainly didn't look like what Liria had expected him to. He was old, all right, about eighty standard years, but there was a fire in his eyes that would have been unusual even for a young man. He walked slowly, but straight and tall, and Liria got the impression that he must have been an imposing man in his day. He shook Kal's hand and bowed graciously to Liria. Then he spoke in a warm, fluid tenor voice. "Honored patrons, please allow me to show you to my personal gallery. I am sure we will have sufficient privacy there to complete the transaction." He led them to the back of the store, leaving the droid to tend the counter. Looking around to make sure no one was around, he rubbed the rotund belly of a Calamarian sea-god statue. A panel in the wall slid open, and Sel Taccan led them into it.

The room behind the panel took Liria completely by surprise. She had expected to see a dusty, cramped storage room full of more junk, but it was the exact opposite. The table and the six chairs surrounding it were carved of rich Endoran amberwood, and the chairs were upholstered with velvet. The walls were hung on three sides with Alderaanian weavings, and the floor was tiled in an elaborate mosaic pattern. But what absolutely took Liria's breath away was what hung on the fourth wall. It was a life-size, full-length oil painting of an exceptionally beautiful woman. She was reclining, and nude except for a tastefully draped silk scarf and a warm smile. It wasn't the size of the painting or the beauty of the woman which captivated Liria, however. It was the feeling that she got when she looked at the painting, the feeling that this woman had enjoyed her life to the fullest and had known real happiness. _I wish I could be like that._

Sel Taccan noticed Liria staring in awe at the painting and smiled. "That was my late wife, Aanna. Lovely woman, wasn't she?" "Very nice," commented Kal dryly. "Who was the artist?"

Almost as an afterthought, Sel replied, "Oh, that was one of my own works. I painted a bit in my day." Now he had them both speechless. Liria suddenly remembered where she'd seen the name Sel Taccan before—on a supposedly anonymous artwork at a museum on Chandrila. As a child, she had had exceptionally sharp eyes, and finding the hidden signature on the gorgeous ocean landscape had been a source of pride for her for years. Pretending not to notice their astonishment, but pleased all the same, Sel then said, "Won't you have a seat?" He took a chair at the head of the table, and Liria and Kal sat on either side of him. "Now, let's talk business." He took a pot of caf and three gold-rimmed cups from a smaller table beside him, and poured for each of them.

Liria sipped the caf, letting the rich vapors fill her nose, then she spoke. "We're from the Rebel Alliance. I'm sure you're familiar with our superior spy network, and the expertise of our Bothan spies. They have brought back some information which is of no use to us, but somebody else might be interested…"

Sel raised a thick gray eyebrow. "Like who?"

Liria put down the cup of caf. "Like, oh, say, Black Sun. Or the Hutts…"

A slow smile spread across Sel's face. "And what exactly do you want for this 'valuable information'?"

Liria glanced at Kal, and he replied firmly, "Anything that might be of interest to the Rebellion."

Sel's smile grew even wider. "Oh, my children, what a pity that I must disappoint you."

Liria and Kal both stared at him. "What are you talking about?" demanded Kal.

Sel pushed his chair back from the table and put his feet up on it. "Black Sun folks don't come often to a Rebel-occupied planet. And Hutts won't come within a hundred light-years of here. Besides, I might not even have anything to give you in return…"

Liria sat bolt upright. "Mr. Taccan, we have come to you because you are one of the best in your profession. You hear about everything that goes on in six sectors. You're one of the finest in the galaxy, and you know it. I don't think your pride is going to let us leave here empty-handed. So don't play games with us. We might be young, but we're not stupid." Kal winked at her from across the table.

Sel took his feet off the table and became serious. "I like your confidence. But I'm not trying to play games here. It would be possible for me to sell information to Black Sun, but I am honest when I say I have nothing for you. There's something, but I'm not sure if you would be willing to trade for it. It is rather personal."

"What do you mean?" asked Liria, puzzled.

"It has to do with the Rebellion, yes. But it has to do with you as well, Mistress Croani and Master Daye."

Liria and Kal exchanged glances. Would it be right to sell the information from the Rebellion for something of personal interest? Finally, Kal spoke. "It's a deal." Liria handed over the datachip. Sel took a hand scanner from his breast pocket and scanned the datachip. He smiled at them and said, "This is bonafide, all right. Now for my half of the bargain."

Sel Taccan shut his eyes and breathed deeply, as if trying to remember something. He opened his eyes and began to speak. "You two are familiar with Assistant Chief of Intelligence Paru Donen, of course." Liria could feel her pulse quickening even as he spoke. Sel continued, "After you two broke prison on Corellia, he was demoted to Second Class Agent for 'letting' you escape. But he's always been Ysanne Isard's little boy, and he has enough influence with her to get his way. He persuaded her to get him a 'vacation' from his desk job so he could hunt you down and get his revenge. Iceheart set him free, and now he's on Garos IV, looking for you both, but he's really got it in for you, Mistress Croani. I would advise you to leave, and leave now."

Liria gasped. "Paru Donen—here? That's impossible! This is an Alliance world!"

Sel snorted. "Do you think he cares? With Iceheart behind him, he can go anywhere, do anything. Money is the lube that makes the galaxy spin, and he's got a tidy allowance from Ysanne Isard. I bet he used it to bribe his way onplanet. I'd warn your Rebel friends, too. No Rebel's safe with him around."

Kal watched the blood drain from Liria's face and felt the same fear envelope him. "You'd better not be lying, old man."

Sel snapped, "You'd better have some respect. I'm as serious as death and Empire Tax, boy. Get off of Garos IV, and get off fast."

Kal rose to his feet and walked around to Liria's side of the table, taking her hand. Liria's eyes were stilll wide with shock, and fear was pouring off her like sweat off a Gamorrean. Kal spoke softly to Liria. "Liria, we'd better go now. If this is true, we have no time to waste." Liria nodded stiffly, stood up. She bowed to Sel Taccan. "We are very grateful to you, sir."

Sel snorted again. "No problem. I like the Rebels because they leave me alone. I don't care to see the Imps get back into power, and especially through that son of a dianoga Donen." He hit a small red button on the table, and the door panel slid open. He watched the pair exit, and murmured, "Force be with those two. They're going to need all the help they can get."

On the pubtrans back to the hotel, Liria felt as if she'd been frozen in carbonite. She heard Kal speaking softly, but his words weren't registering in her brain. She was thinking back to that horrible night in prison, the night when Paru Donen had tortured her…_tortured me just because it made him feel better._ Cold sweat was running down her back, and one thought was foremost in her mind—get offplanet as soon as possible. She glanced quickly at Kal. He didn't seem so worried, but then, he had been trained to keep calm in a difficult situation. What Liria didn't know was that Kal was feeling much the same as she was. He'd been tortured too, and it wasn't something he exactly wanted to experience again. By the time they had been dropped off at the hotel and were going up the turbolift to their rooms, they were very agitated. They were so out of sorts, in fact, that they didn't notice that the lock to Kal's room had been tampered with. Kal slid the keycard into the lock and opened the door to find his worst nightmare. Liria screamed.

Sitting on the bed as serenely as if he belonged there was former Assistant Chief of Intelligence Paru Donen. He was a few pounds leaner than when they'd seen him last, and it gave him an almost predatory look. He still had the same scar running down his right cheek, and his cold stone-colored eyes had a look of bland pleasure in them. "How nice…to finally find you here, Mr. Daye." His eyes shifted, glanced at Liria standing her ground behind Kal. He grinned ferally. "And you too, Mistress Croani. I spent no little time and expense getting here, so you'll be gracious hosts to me, I'm sure." He waved his military-issue blaster at the pair. "Why don't you come in and have a seat?"

At that moment, Liria knew exactly what she had to do. Kal couldn't reach for his blaster, but she was standing right behind him…and she could. Swift as a pouncing predator, Liria reached into Kal's belt, grabbed his blaster and shot Paru Donen directly in the chest. He fell forward like a chunk of ferrocrete. Liria dropped the blaster in her shock. _Oh, ancestors, I've done it. I killed a man. _Her knees felt shaky, and she would have fallen if Kal hadn't been there to bear her up. He said quietly, "Get your things, Liria. We haven't got a whole lot of time."

Liria turned to look at Kal in confusion. "What in the Maker's name are you talking about? He's dead…" She began to tremble again.

Kal shook his head. "Lir, I had that blaster set to stun, too. Didn't you see the bolt?"

Liria let out a slightly hysterical giggle. _It was a blue bolt, wasn't it?_ "Well, I guess I was concentrating so hard on my aim…" _I didn't kill him! I didn't kill him!_ Then she thought a minute. "Now what are we going to do?" She raised an eyebrow at Kal questioningly.

Kal paused, then went to his bag. He pulled out a small plasteel bottle and a syringe. Filling the syringe with the clear liquid from the bottle, he stabbed it into the unconscious man's leg. Answering Liria's unspoken question, he said, "That ought to put him out for a few hours yet."

"Well, you're the ultimate Honor Scout, aren't you?" Liria commented with a bit of her old spirit. "Always prepared for anything." She paused a minute, then said more seriously, "And I've got an idea about what to do with the body…" She walked over to the bed and picked up Paru Donen's legs, motioning for Kal to get his other half. Following Liria's lead, the pair maneuvered the knocked-out Imperial out the still-open door and onto the hotel's balcony. They moved Donen to the very end of the balcony, which overlooked a service alley. Liria pointed down to a large waste receptacle filled with trash bags and smiled. "Stick him there, partner. That's where trash belongs." Kal looked at her oddly, and she laughed. "Yeah, I know it's a long way down, but he won't get hurt badly if we drop him down there. He'll break a few bones at the most. You know I'd not hit a downed opponent. I am a Lady of the Ancient Houses, after all."

Kal smiled his rogue's smile at her. "I'll take the legs, you get the other end." And together, they slung Paru Donen over the balcony railing. He fell silently, then hit the waste receptacle with a soft thud. Liria looked at Kal questioningly. "Now what?"

Kal replied, "Now, we hightail it out of here. A man that powerful doesn't come to an enemy planet without some kind of backup. We'll warn the Alliance government on the way out."

Fifteen minutes later, Kal stood outside a public holorecording booth watching their bags while Liria recorded a message to warn local authorities about the Imperial Intell Officer. Liria popped out of the booth with a data canister in hand. "We need to get this to the Alliance here, but we don't have a lot of time," she said worriedly. Just then Kal spotted a Sullustan youth window-shopping at a nearby toy store. He called out, "Hey, kid, would ya like to earn ten creds real quick?"

The young Sullustan turned to face Kal. "Who, me?"

Kal grinned. "Yeah, kid. You're the lucky one."

The Sullustan child came closer, but suspicion still shone in his polished-onyx eyes. "What do I gotta do to get the money?"

Kal crouched to place himself at the child's level. "Nothing bad or dangerous, trust me. I just want you to do a favor for the pretty lady behind me." Liria rolled her eyes and laughed. Kal continued, "She needs a data cylinder taken to the Alliance government here. You know where their headquarters are?" The child nodded. Kal went on. "Just take the data cylinder and drop it in the mail bin outside, that's it." Then he pulled a ten-credit chit from his pocket and showed it to the young Sullustan. "That's for your trouble. You're doing the Rebellion a huge favor, kid." He shook the child's hand and gave him the chit. The Sullustan looked over Kal's shoulder at Liria and smiled shyly. She returned his smile and handed him the cylinder. It had her name and authentication code imprinted on it, so the government would know it was genuine. The Sullustan child ran off as fast as his legs would take him, and Kal watched him with amusement. "Well, that was fairly painless."

Liria wasn't so sure. "How do you know that child will take the cylinder to headquarters?"

"Kids are pretty honest, as a rule. They haven't learned how to lie yet," Kal said with a shrug. "Besides, Sullustans are a trustworthy species." He picked up Liria's bags and his own. "Now let's get going, Lady Liria. I'm not eager to have Scarface on our tail again." The pair headed for the spaceport promptly.

In about half an hour, the combined bargaining skills of Kal and Liria had won them two berths in the third-class section of an economy passenger freighter on its way back to Ord Mantell. Still, Liria didn't rest easy until the ship had jumped into hyperspace. She was sitting on her bunk, looking around at the various other beings crammed into the compartment. In contrast to the deluxe cruiser they had arrived on, the only modicum of privacy here was a curtain that could be drawn across the sides of the bunk when its occupant was ready for sleep. Liria sighed. _I must have this thing for arriving in luxury and leaving in poverty._ Just then, Kal came strolling down the aisle with two cups of fresh, hot tea in his hands. He handed one to Liria, and she sipped appreciatively, thinking that this trip might not be so bad, as long as the tea kept on coming. Kal smiled and put an arm around her. "How do you feel, Milady?"

Liria was too tired to protest at the name. She snuggled deeper into his embrace and nestled her head against his chest. "Not bad. You?"

Kal exhaled, drew her close. She didn't stop him. "I'm just great, Milady. You know, it's kind of hard for me to say, but…"

Liria looked up at him roguishly. "But what?"

Kal grinned at her. "You did really great back there, kid. I didn't expect you to do something like that. It was really clever. I'm sorry for underestimating you."

Liria shuddered. "Don't be. You were right. I am a coward."

Kal's expression filled with concern. "What do you mean?"

Liria sighed. "I meant that after the adrenaline rush was over, I…I felt terrible. When I thought I had killed him, I wanted to kill myself. I always believed that sentient life was the most sacred thing in the universe, and that taking it was sheer evil. I felt as if I'd betrayed my ideals." She thought of Micho, and a tear rolled silently down her cheek.

"Don't worry," said Kal reassuringly, wiping the tear away. "That doesn't mean you're a coward. It just means you're a good and decent person with principles. It's just that we're at war. The whole point of this Rebellion is that the Empire is so evil that violence, no matter how we hate it, is the only way to extinguish that evil. We wouldn't take life, if we didn't feel that it was absolutely necessary to save life."

Liria looked at him. "I had no idea you were such a philosopher, Kal," she remarked teasingly.

"Well, you're not the only one," retorted Kal. Then to Liria's surprise, he leaned down and kissed her warmly on the lips. Liria returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. They broke off after a long moment. Kal grinned at her. "So, does this mean you love me yet?"

Liria replied, "Absolutely not, you rascal. It just means I've grown rather fond of you." She started the kiss this time, then pulled away with a sigh, resting her head on Kal's chest. 

Kal kissed the top of her head lightly. "What's wrong?"

Liria said uncertainly, "I'm…I'm sorry, Kal. I don't want to give you the wrong idea…about me…and us…" She paused to collect her thoughts. _Blast it, I'm so confused_… she thought angrily.

Kal twisted a strand of her hair around his finger. He had a quiet seriousness in his voice when he spoke. "Don't worry. I understand. I know it hasn't been long…" He paused to brush the tears off Liria's face, then continued, "…since your husband died. So no commitments, all right? We'll just take things as they come."

"That sounds good," said Liria, choking back a sob. She burrowed deeper into Kal's embrace and yawned. "Can you do one thing for me, though?"

"Sure," Kal answered gently.

Liria said sleepily, "Be here when I wake up, okay?" 

"I promise," replied Kal.

Liria fell asleep right where she was, feeling peaceful and content. _I think I'm one step closer to the lady in the painting,_ she thought drowsily, and smiled with her eyes closed.


End file.
